May2016
Smile
29
The
buzz
Filipino ingredients takecenter
stageatGalleryVASK, oneof
Asia’sBestRestaurants
Going local
DELIGHTFULDISHES
CHEERS!
Let'sdrinktothat
THESETWOMANILA
HOTSPOTSMADE ITTO
THELISTOFASIA’S50
BESTBARS
ABV
ABV, orAlcoholBy
Volume, isaProhibition-
style speakeasy that’s
tuckedbehindan
unassuminghotdog
joint. Themenu includes
a roster of classicsand
specialtydrinkswith
a twist, aswell asa
collectionof over30
bottlesof absinthe.
22JupiterSt corner
GalaxySt,MakatiCity
TheCurator
Thepassionandknow-
howof the teamat The
Curator—acafébyday
andabar bynight—are
evident ineachcarefully
crafteddrink,where
proper technique is
coupledwitha respect
for theoriginsof the
ingredients. The result:
a stellar reputation for
cocktailswithprofound
flavor profiles.Whether
youcome for some
coffeeor something
stiffer, the inviting
space isonewortha
visit.
134Legazpi St
cornerC. PalancaSt,
MakatiCity
T
hesimplest ingredientscanbe
elevatedbysomeonewhosepassion
for food, placeandhistoryrundeep.
ChefJoséLuis “Chele”Gonzalez
(inset)ofGalleryVASK isone
suchperson.His focuson
therelationshipsbetween
differentcuisines, andhis
passion forsustainable
local ingredients, have
resulted inawonderful
fusionofflavorsand inventive
dishes.Thisexperimental cuisine
hasexcited thepalatesand imaginationsof
Manila’smostdiscriminatingdiners, and
earnedGalleryVASKaspot in thisyear’s
listofAsia’s50BestRestaurants.
Inarecent interviewwith
Smile
,Chele
revealedfiveofhis favoriteFilipino
ingredients,withoutwhichhecouldn’t
make the foodandexperience that’son
offeratGalleryVASK.
Coconut
Chelecombines fermentedcoconutwith
cilantro, basil, freshcurry leaves, turmeric,
crab fatand
upo
(gourd)seeds tocreatea
dishcalledHabagat.ForTiradito,Chele’s
takeonkinilaw, heusescoconutmilk
flavoredwithcalamansi and
tabon-tabon
tocoat raw tuna loin.
Alibangbang
The leavesof the
alibangbang
(Bauhinia
malabarica)arecommonlyusedby the
Aetas in theircooking.Cheleuses itasa
souringagent forbrothsandsoups, such
asBinulo.
Calamansi
Cheleusescalamansi juice
andzest tomarinateWagyu
short ribs forhisSourRibs
(picturedabove).Thedish
was inspiredby
toyomansi.
Thesoysauceandcalamansi
concoction isamongFilipinos’
favoritedippingsauces.
Ginger
Ginger iscommonlyused toflavorsoups
andbroths.ForPansit-Pansitan,Chele
grillsginger, lemongrassand tunabelly to
makeaconsommé inspiredby
nilagpang,
a
Visayanclearsoup.
Freshandsustainable localfish
Cheleusesmackerel aspartofGallery
VASK’sefforts topromotesustainable
fishing.Theoilyfish is themain ingredient
ofBauhinia.
WORDSBY
TATAMAPA;
PHOTOBY
TAMMYDAVID
(THECURATOR)
Try it foryourself.GalleryVASK isat5/FClippCenter, 11thAvecorner39thSt,
BonifacioGlobalCity,Taguig, 1634MetroManila;
galleryvask.com
